Penalty shoot-outs decide hockey finals

Te Puke Intermediate has claimed gold in the mixed 6-a-side hockey at the Anchor AIMS Games, beating Taradale Intermediate in a tense final which went to a penalty shootout.

Taradale led 2-1 at halftime but a volley of goals in the second half saw Te Puke draw 6-6 at fulltime, and eventually triumph in the second round of penalty shootouts.

Coach Suzy Longley said the school’s team came 33rd last year; they never dreamt they might win gold this year.

“I wanted to get in to the top 10!”

Captain Conal Mikkelsen said he was “ecstatic”.

As he left the turf, Te Puke’s enthusiastic supporters were yelling their congratulations through the chicken wire of the boundary fence.

“Great game.”

“So cool.”

“Can I get your autograph?”

Taradale, competing in their first ever AIMS Games final, did not leave empty-handed – earlier the school had been named recipients of the prestigious AIMS Games TeamMates Cup. Taradale’s Head of Sport, Kirsten Demanser-Wilson, said the 6-a-side hockey side contains two children with cochlear implants. She was delighted with the TeamMates Cup and to have Taradale featuring in finals (hockey and football) for the first time since the school’s inaugural AIMS outing eight years ago.

Kristin School are the Anchor AIMS Games boys’ hockey champions for 2017, after a tight final against Cobham Intermediate.

1 Comment

Awesome result for St Cuthberts, Kamo were amazing. thank you for the live stream Aims Games and Maori TV. No sound in the first half , commentary was great in the 2nd half except the players names for St Cuthberts were incorrect for at least 3 of their players .

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